Starlight In Her Eyes
by Amarylle
Summary: Thanks to the heavy-handed bullying, Rachel Berry decides to quit Glee, but not before she finds her replacement in Sunshine Corazon. How will the New Directions react? A tale of friendship, love, and all the colours in between. It's either going to be Cherry, or Rachel/Brittany pairing, I haven't quite decided yet. Sunberry, Pezberry, and possibly Puckleberry friendship.
1. Bathroom Duet

**Disclaimer:** I am merely borrowing some of the Glee characters to play around with, without any intention of profiting from it. Let my shenanigans begin!

* * *

Rachel Berry was exhausted from all the drama that her presence apparently spurred on every single day of the week. As much as she loved to sing, as much as she once thought that she had _somewhere_ she could finally _belong_ , she had to realize that she felt even more lonely, than before she joined the Glee club.

The short girl thought that her team mates were _hypocrites,_ even _Mr. Schuester_.

Their teacher was always going on about how they were supposed to be family, and that they should always stick together, because they were _all_ they had in this school, yet he calmly stood by watching as she was _alienated_ by her so called _'family'_ , doing absolutely nothing to stop the bullying that she was a victim of.

The daily slushie attacks were something she was used to by now, and it barely bothered her anymore. She woke up every day, donned her ridiculous clothes, and packed a few extra shirts and cardigans, knowing that a few colourful icy showers were inevitable to her day.

Rachel was teased for her lack of style, and it never ceased to make her feel exasperated, rather than insulted, as were the morons of _McKinley High_ honestly expecting her to wear fashionable outfits, just so that they could be ruined an hour later, when colourful ice trickled down from her hair onto her clothes? That was hardly ideal.

Quality clothes were expensive, and even the second-hand attire that she was wearing cost her money. As illogical as it was, she was furious that her tormentors did not think about the monetary consequences of what they were doing.

Strangely enough she was able to handle that aspect of her life. What really got to her was all the name-calling, and the mocking, derisive laughter at her expense by the very people she was supposed to feel safe and protected with. The Glee kids were supposed to be her support system in the school. _Wasn't that the idea of their team-building exercises?_

Miss Berry was painfully aware that she had a difficult personality. She was bossy, opinionated, and had a slight superiority complex when it came to her singing talent, but that all came with her knowing exactly what she wanted to achieve in her life. She had one singular goal hovering in the forefront of her mind, and that was to make it to _Broadway_ , and be the star she was born to be.

These traits of hers were the bane of her high school existence. Everyone thought of her as an annoying, obnoxious nuisance, and no one had any problems with expressing what they _really_ thought about her, be it behind her back, or taunting her right in front of her face.

 _'Man-hands.'_

 _'RuPaul.'_

 _'Treasure Trail.'_

 _'Hobbit.'_

 _'Dwarf.'_

 _'Midget.'_

Some of the words they used to disgrace her with were less hurtful than others, but after a while she struggled to differentiate between them. _What was the point?_ Just because different people had different coating for their jibes, did not mean their intent was not the same. They all wanted to humiliate her, and make her feel worthless.

Rachel did not understand the need for such childish aggression, but she was powerless to do anything about it, when even the school's faculty did not seem to care about the heavy-handed bullying going down in the hallways. It would be so _easy_ to lock away the slushie machines, but it was like they _sanctioned_ the actions of the cheerleaders and jocks, without a care for student safety.

She knew that she appeared selfish, self-assured and sometimes even somewhat shrewd, but those masks were part of her coping mechanism with being the odd one out of her social circles. All the insults, and careless distasteful words aimed at her were slowly eating away at her well-constructed walls, and the Jewish girl knew that she was really close to crumbling, and falling completely apart, and she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing they finally succeeded in breaking her.

The flickering thought of her quitting Glee became harder and harder to resist as the days, weeks, and months passed her by, and by the time the summer holidays were over, her resolve was unwavering, and the only obstacle in her way was finding a replacement to fill her spot.

As much as she wanted to leave the awkward environment behind her, she did not want to be accused of hindering their chances at the singing competitions by not having enough members to qualify. She knew a little too well how easy it was for her fellow club members to blame something on her. Actually, almost every mistake and obstacle happened to somehow be _her_ fault, thus she had to be careful, and pull her plan off with a bit of tact.

Her heart was alight with a glimmer of hope, when she noticed a small Asian girl watching her and the New Directions perform _'Empire State of Mind'_ in the courtyard to hopefully gather some new members for their club. Both the kids and their advisor were oblivious to the fact that out of everyone, Rachel was the most determined to attract at least one person to the cause.

Later in the day, when she was putting up sign-up sheets for Glee, she encountered the same girl, and when she heard her sing the first few words to _'Telephone'_ , she spun around her heel so fast, that she got slightly dizzy. She marveled at the clarity and soul of the girl's beautiful voice, as she followed the melody and carried the tune so effortlessly, that Miss Berry had to admit to herself, that she felt somewhat threatened by the other girl's talent.

The self-acclaimed Diva could not help, but join her in singing the song, her eyes sparkling both with excitement, and the challenge to keep up with this mysterious girl, whom she hadn't seen before today. Their voices blended together seamlessly as they sang to each other, until Sue Sylvester just had to yell at them to shut up, grumbling about how she could not even have some peaceful minutes to herself to do her business, without irritating vocal exercises to interrupt her.

The girls shared a glance, and Rachel shook her head exasperatedly. She was more than used to Coach Slyvester's attitude by now, but the new student seemed to be caught off guard.

"Don't mind her..." She spoke softly. "Coach Sylvester is certainly a _character_. She has an insult for everyone, but she actually cares about some of her students. I refuse to believe that she is an all around evil dictator crazy for power-reigning the school, even though that is what her actions proclaim." She explained in long-winded words, and continued without a pause. "My name is Rachel Berry by the way. I haven't seen you around before today, is this your first day? Do you need any help getting around the school?"

"Do you _always_ talk so much under one single breath?" The girl asked incredulously.

"Yes, I do have the tendency to talk a lot." She admitted. "My Daddies always tell me to slow down, and take a breath, as they stare at me, shaking their heads simultaneously, while I go on about the subject matter at hand. I believe it is important to always be prepared with the appropriate vocabulary to draw from. Sometimes I sit around in my room, reading a dictionary to deepen my knowledge of words, as words are important to understand any song we sing, not to mention the inevitable act of songwriting." Rachel disclosed.

The girl with the black framed glasses could not help herself, as her amusement bubbled forth in a light-hearted chuckle. "You are a very intense person." She hummed.

Rachel's cheeks heated up with her embarrassment. "I am sorry if you find my personality annoying, or obnoxious, most of the school does." She mumbled quietly, staring at her feet.

She frowned. "You are making me doubt my decision to come here as part of our exchange student program. This place is clearly very judgmental, if you react to my statement with such shame." She observed.

"I apologize for casting a shadow on your experience." The Diva sighed, and paused in thought, her eyes brightening as an idea popped into her mind. "I am certain you will like it around here, you just have to make sure to fall in with the right crowd. I do not claim to know how your previous school's hierarchy works, but the cheerleaders and jocks rule the school around here, and if they deem you a loser, you are pretty much fair game for bullying. I was going to suggest that you audition for Glee club, as my replacement, but associating with the likes of me would hinder your stay, and I would not want that to happen to you."

The Asian girl stared at Rachel with wide eyes, as she described the status quo, oddly touched at her words of warning. "I do not think that a bunch of bullies would be the right group of people to associate myself with, no matter how popular they are." She smiled. "Thank you for being so thoughtful though. You mentioned something about Glee?"

The Jewish girl's face was lit up with another bright smile. She was starting to like this girl, and hoped that they could eventually establish a friendship, as she could really use a friend. "Yes. A group of us get together and sing an assortment of songs. Mr. Schuester, our advisor, picks a different theme for us every week, and we all choose something to sing. We also compete in Show Choir competitions." She explained with a wistful voice.

"That sounds wonderful, and it also sounds like something you really enjoy. Why exactly do you want to quit?" She asked curiously, and was taken aback by the flash of guarded hurt in the slightly taller girl's eyes.

Rachel winced at the question, and lamented whether she should be honest, or simply gloss over it. She did not want to see pity in the girl's dark eyes, so her answer was purposefully vague. "I wish to focus on other things this year, besides I believe that your voice would be a brilliant addition to the team."

The girl blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. Oh, we have gotten so lost in your carefully crafted word-maze, that I totally forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sunshine Corazon, and I am from the Philippines."

"It's been a pleasure to meet you, Sunshine." Rachel smiled warmly. "You mentioned that you are an exchange student?"

"Likewise." Miss Corazon nodded her head. "Yes, I am only here for a year, but my family is looking into opportunities to extend that." She confided in her.

"If you and your family need any assistance, just let me know. My Daddies are rather well connected around here, and they are always glad to help."

"Thank you." Sunshine grinned as the warning bell for the next class rang out in the halls, and the girls got ready to part ways. "Rachel?" She called after the petite girl. "For the record, I just want to say that you seem like a lovely person, and your bullies can go and eat sand, because they are out of their freaking minds!"

Rachel's eyes misted over with such raw emotion, that Sunshine's breath hitched in her throat as a short brunette missile crashed against her in a needy hug. "Thank you for saying that." She whispered. "Think about Glee, and if you decide to try out, auditions are in the afternoon in the Auditorium." She smiled and ran off to her Spanish class.

Sunshine stared at Rachel Berry's retreating back, before she shook herself out of her daze, and wandered off to her Geometry class, closely following the map she received at the Admissions Office. She definitely had a lot to think about.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know that Glee is not exactly my forte when it comes to writing fanfiction, as I am a firm Harry Potter enthusiast, but this plot of mine just wouldn't leave me alone.

The premise is that Rachel grows tired of the bullying that her fellow Glee club members dish out at her, and over the summer she decides to quit, but not without acquiring a replacement first. When she hears Sunshine Corazon's beautiful singing voice, she knows she found the right person for her team, thus she engages her in a conversation, and lets her know about the up-coming auditions. Sunshine will decide to give Glee a try, and auditions, which the whole club witnesses, and they are in awe at her talent. The next day Rachel doesn't go to Glee anymore, and they accuse her of being jealous of Sunshine's talent, and that she is simply throwing a hissy-fit. Corazon corrects their flawed thought process and lets them know Rachel was the person who told her to audition. Everyone is shocked... and that is how our story begins. :)

Thank you for reading this. I am not sure how often I will update, we will see.


	2. Audition Disaster Jewfro Style

Time seemed to be flying by, since Rachel's brief chat with Sunshine in one of the school lavatories. The Jewish girl's stomach had been fluttering with nerves whenever she thought about the up-coming auditions, and whether the talented Asian girl would show up. On one hand, she really wanted to spare Miss Corazon the ridicule at the popular kids' hands, but on the other hand, she saw Sunshine Corazon as her saving grace from having to endure another hour of vicious name-calling.

She walked up to her locker, her arms laden with her books. She had just enough time to put them away, before Dave Karofsky marched up to her, and dumped a cup of bright red slushie on her head.

"Know your place, freak." He snickered maliciously, as the whole corridor erupted in derisive laughter at her expense, as his friends bumped their fists with his for a job well done.

Rachel gasped as the cold liquid trickled down her warm skin, however she rolled her eyes at the jock's comment. It wasn't something she did not hear before. The cheerleaders' and jocks' remarks did not sting quite as much, as the ones from her team mates did.

She wiped the ice out of her eyes, and opened her locker, reaching for a fluffy towel, and a change of clothes, and walked to the nearest bathroom to clean herself up. As she was gently rinsing the cherry flavoured slushie out of her tangled tresses, a soft spoken voice filtered through her thoughts, and she looked up to see Brittany watching her with her big blue eyes.

"Do you need some help, Rachie?" She asked, twirling a lock of her honey coloured hair.

Rachel couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. It was impossible to be upset around the tall blonde cheerleader. She was sheer sunlight flickering through the darkest storm clouds. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I can handle it." She said quietly, as she knew that wherever Brittany Pierce appeared, Santana Lopez was not far behind, and she did not want to chance another string of insults, if she could help it.

It was as if Miss Pierce knew exactly what Rachel was thinking, and she nodded with a sad smile, her fingertips lightly brushing across the shorter girl's back as she exited the bathroom, where Santana was waiting for her, leaning against the wall.

Rachel could hear the Latina's voice, and the disdain in it cut her deeper than she was ready to admit to herself. "What were you doing talking to the Hobbit, Britt-Britt?" She sniffed.

"I offered to help her." She admitted, glancing back at the bathroom door, before averting her gaze.

Santana's eyebrows disappeared in her hairline. "Why the hell would you offer to help the Dwarf?" She asked in a shrill voice laced with her irritation.

"Her eyes were sad, San." She said with a frown, and Rachel's stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of someone noticing her sadness. It figures that the person who could read her like an open book, would be the girl everyone thought of as a ditz.

Santana snorted. "Come on, B..., you cannot seriously be upset about _Rachel freaking Berry's_ Diva act. You know how dramatic she is." She shrugged, but there was a rather awkward feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. _Could her sweet baby B. be right about this? Did they finally succeed in breaking the Midget's spirit? And why the hell was she suddenly feeling like shit about the possibility of that?_

Brittany's frown deepened. "It's different. Her light is fading, and I don't like it." She mumbled.

The other girl sighed, and laced her fingers with the blonde's. "Don't worry your pretty little head about such things, Britts. If Berry was upset, I am sure we would know about it, as she would loudly proclaim it to the world." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Now listen to Auntie Tana, and let's go and split a chocolate bar to cheer you up!"

Brittany's eyes were full with worry for Rachel, but Santana's concern for her warmed her heart, and she gave her one of her bright smiles, and linked pinkies with her, as they sauntered off towards the cafeteria.

Meanwhile Rachel was stunned at the blonde cheerleader's words. _How was it that someone so unexpected had seen through her?_ She swallowed her tears, and finished washing her face and hair, slipping out of her sticky long-sleeved shirt, to exchange it for a clean top, and a thin cardigan.

She carefully washed her shirt to get the worst of the slushie stains out of it, and dried it somewhat, so it wouldn't drench the rest of her belongings, and folded it up, sticking the article of clothing into a plastic bag to take home and wash properly later.

The petite brunette grabbed her soft brush, and lightly ran it through her hair a few times, and giving her reflection a shrug she picked up her stuff, and walked back to her locker, where she grabbed her assignments, and the few text books that she wanted to take home, and took off towards the Auditorium.

She passed Tina and Mercedes on her way, who decided to act like they did not notice her, so she quickened her pace, and slipped into the back of the Auditorium, sitting on one of the scarlet coloured chairs, hoping that Sunshine would show.

The rest of the Glee kids were slowly trickling in as well, sitting down a few rows in front of her. Only a few of them – like Brittany, Michael, and Puck – glanced her way, hesitating whether or not they should sit with her, but they decided to go with the flow, and sit where they knew they would be comfortable instead.

Ever since Sectionals, Finn deliberately ignored her presence. He may have bailed them out at the last minute, but other than letting her know that he thought they were better off without seeing each other, he did not talk, or even look at her anymore. The lanky teenager told her that he would always have feelings for _Quinn_ , and even though he would have to work on forgiving her for the baby debacle and lying about it, he _wanted_ Quinn Fabray _more_ than he wanted her.

With those very words the Quarterback effectively crushed Rachel Berry's heart without a second thought to the consequences. Her heartbreak was just the cherry on top of the proverbial cake of reasons that she could not stand to be in the same room as the rest of the Glee club.

Rachel looked up when Mr. Schuester arrived with the sign-up sheet attached to a clip board, and sat behind a small wooden desk slightly in front of where the group was sitting, then abruptly changing his mind, he stood up to face them. His eyes glanced at her briefly, then trailed over where the rest of his students were situated, his right eye twitching slightly, but otherwise he did not show that he was affected by what he saw.

William Schuester was of the opinion that, if Miss Berry wanted to be a Broadway star, then she would need to grow a thicker skin, and get used to the criticism of her peers, thus he did not intervene with how the rest of the kids treated her, although he was starting to feel a little bit guilty about it, as he noticed her spark had dimmed somewhat over the summer holidays, and the girl that came back to school seemed to be different.

He shook his thoughts away, and looked down at his list. "Alright, kids. We have a few hopeful members-to-be..., let's give them all a warm welcome to soothe their nerves." He said cheerfully, as a handful of assorted students peeked their heads out from behind the curtain.

Rachel craned her neck to see whether Sunshine was among the hopefuls, and she was disappointed to see that she was not. Her stomach was a tangle of messy knots at the thought. She _really_ wanted to leave the Glee club behind her. She took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, her fingertips fiddling with the hem of her sleeves.

 _'No matter...'_ she thought to herself. _'There has to be at least one talented person among those who signed-up to try out. There will be enough members to qualify for Regionals, and I can still quit.'_

The Diva's eyes widened with horror, when she saw who the first person to sing their solo was. It was no other than the _creepy_ _little shit_ , who has been stalking her since elementary school, Jacob Ben Israel.

There was a murmur of groans, as Santana shouted in disbelief. "What the hell is Jewfro doing here?"

Mr. Schuester's eye twitched with annoyance. "Santana!" He warned her. "We agreed to give _everyone_ a chance, so put aside your petty prejudices and listen to his audition, perhaps he will surprise you." He said, and glanced at the rest of the Glee club. "And that goes for the rest of you as well."

Rachel frowned, and her hands squeezed into small fists by her side. It was so _typical_ of Mr. Schuester to stand up for anyone and everyone – _even that slimy peeping tom_ – except her.

Santana glared at Will, but refrained from any further remarks. "Good." He nodded. "The floor is yours, Jacob."

The boy awkwardly strutted to the middle of the stage, and placed his ever present camera on a tripod to record himself singing. "My name is Jacob Ben Israel, and I am going to be singing _'Paparazzi'_." He grinned, and his eyes searched for Rachel. "I am dedicating this song to my gorgeous _Jewish Goddess_ known as Rachel Berry." He said dreamily.

The Glee kids turned around as one to stare at Rachel, some with concern, some with unmasked glee at her predicament, as the brunette girl had unadulterated panic and disgust written on her face.

"Figures a walking-talking freak-show would have the hots for you, Man-hands." Quinn quipped, as she laughed at Rachel's visible distaste.

The Diva paled at her words, and remained silent at the taunt, her eyes fixed at her knees, rather than looking anyone in the eye.

Michael Chang's eyes trailed over her face, and he was filled with a jolt of guilt at how much teasing she had to endure at the Glee club's hands, with no one standing up for her. He actually never watched her expression at the _very moment_ the insults hit her before, if he did he would _not_ have been able to stand for it, no matter what he thought of her. Sure, the girl was selfish, and talked a little too much, but he also saw how kind she was with the group, even after the way everyone treated her.

"That was uncalled for..." The quiet Asian guy spoke up, to the shock of everyone. "Why do you always have to pick on Rachel, even when she doesn't say a word to any of you?"

Rachel's misty eyes snapped to Mike in a mix of shock and silent gratitude, while Quinn stewed in her anger. The blonde was about to give a biting retort, when Mr. Schuester was broken out of his stunned silence. "I hardly think this is an appropriate moment for chit-chat." He scolded them. "Be quiet, and let's listen to Jacob's performance."

The group of mismatched students reluctantly turned back to the stage, while Mike deliberately stood up, and walked two rows down to sit beside Rachel in an act of solidarity. The petite girl leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Thank you for that, Michael. I really appreciate it." She said in a quiet voice.

The tall teenager smiled a lopsided smile and nodded. "You are welcome."

"How _touching._.." Quinn muttered under her breath with a scathing look.

Will was more than irritated by now, he was down-right angry. "If I hear another peep out of the lot of you, I will decide on the new members without any input from you, and see how you like that!" He raised his voice, and cleared his throat. "I am sorry Jacob, please continue."

The whole situation was _so_ juicy in Jacob's eyes, that he grabbed his camera, and filmed the whole thing with a calculating look in his eyes. He already planned a blog update in his head, and it was going to be marvelous. He put his equipment back to film his audition, his eyes searching for his _Jewish Princess_ , as he sang the first verse of the song.

" _We are the crowd,_

 _We're c-coming out_

 _Got my flash on it's true_

 _Need that picture of you_

 _It's so magical_

 _We'd be so fantastical-_ "

His voice was off tune, and made the listeners cringe, especially when he did this weird little thrust with hips, while putting emphasize on the line _'Need that picture of you'_. Rachel's face blanched as she listened, and she hoped that Mr. Schuester would put an instant stop to this, but naturally her wish did not come true and she had to sit through the whole thing.

Quinn and Finn were having a hard time restraining their amusement at both his performance, and Rachel's discomfort, while the rest of the kids were having mixed reactions. Kurt was absolutely horrified at what he was seeing and hearing, so much so, that he was covering his ears with his hands, while muttering about Jewfro being a crime against humanity. Mercedes pulled out her phone and a pair of ear-buds, and plugged into some soul music. Tina wasn't even paying attention to what was happening on stage, as she was casting furtive glances at Mike, and wondering why he was sitting with Rachel. Artie was staring at the stage in sick fascination, and filming with his cellphone to put this train-wreck on the Internet. Santana was still fuming over Mr. Schuester's earlier quip at her behavior to pay proper attention to anything else, and Brittany was off in her own world, thinking about dolphins, and penguins and how peaceful Rachel would look surrounded with such serene aquatic creatures, as she likened her to a beautiful unicorn. And Puck..., he was disturbed beyond words, and offended that this living-breathing nightmare dared to dedicate this song to _his_ Jewish American Princess.

Jacob got _really_ into the chorus, as his body was gyrating wildly as he sang, changing a word to reflect that he was not singing about a boy, but rather a _girl_ , namely Rachel Berry.

" _I'm your biggest fan_

 _I'll follow you until you love me_

 _Papa-paparazzi_

 _Baby there's no other superstar_

 _You know that I'll be_

 _Your papa-paparazzi_

 _Promise I'll be kind_

 _But I won't stop until that girl is mine_

 _Baby you'll be famous_

 _Chase you down until you love me_

 _Papa-paparazzi_ "

Rachel was so nauseous, that she was visibly green around the gills, and Mike was casting worried glances her way. "Are you okay? Do you need something? Some water perhaps?" He asked softly, and reached into his backpack to grab a bottle of water that he always carried around.

She accepted the bottle, and took a needy sip, her relief visible as the cold water trickled down her throat, and the nitwit _finally_ stopped singing, if they could even call what he was doing that. "Thank you." She smiled at him weakly.

Mike's genuine concern was shining in his eyes, as he nodded in response. "That was horrible." He remarked to her in a whisper.

"It fucking sucked." She said without a second thought to her use of language.

He arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Rachel Berry cursing... _wow_. Colour me surprised." He gently teased, eliciting a light laugh from her.

"Guilty as charged, colourful expletives might escape from my lips sometimes." She admitted with a blush.

"That's oddly charming, coming from you." He chuckled, and she simply grinned at him as they glanced toward their Spanish teacher, and Glee club advisor.

Will was having an awkward debate with himself, unsure how to proceed. On one hand, Jacob's performance was undoubtedly terrible, but he also thought that his students would have deserved, if he approved him for the team, however the need for actual skill for their competitions won out over his need for teaching his charges a lesson.

"Thank you for your performance, Jacob, however I feel that your skills better remain with the Audiovisual Club." He made his decision known.

Jacob frowned, as he grabbed his camera. "This is a travesty, Mr. Schuester!" He yelled. "You lot clearly do not know talent when you see it. I swear on my _'fro_ that you will feel my wrath, well except my beautiful _Jewish Goddess_ , I will spare you any pain, my love." He vowed, as he walked off stage and stormed out.

The Auditorium was engulfed in shocked silence at Jewfro's outburst, as they all stared at each other, quite unsure of what exactly happened...

* * *

 **A/N:** I have to admit I was highly amused, while I was writing this chapter. There will be a little bit of overlap with the last scene in chapter three, but for now this was a good place to stop.

I do have a question: what pairings would you like to read in this story? Other than Cherry, and BerryPie of course. I will reserve Rachel's affections for them, and Quinn will be with Finn, but other than that, I would love to read your suggestions.

Thank you for the interest you guys showed the first chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading the second one as well.


	3. Quinnfrontation

Rachel buried her face in her hands at Jacob's unexpected outburst, and it did not take long at all for Quinn to take advantage of the situation, and insult her even further.

"You know, I cannot fail to notice how _alike_ Jewfro's dramatic storm out was to your _theatrical flare_ you grace us with when something is not going your way, Treasure Trail." The blonde cheerleader laughed.

The Jewish girl's jaw tightened at her remark, and she looked at her with disapproval and hurt shining in her eyes. "Did you _really_ just compare me to _Jacob_?" She asked in an incredulous voice. "Wow, I always knew you were a _bitch_ , but I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, and hoped you still had _some_ class, especially after _what_ recently happened in your life. To think you could still be _so_ vicious is something I never thought I would see, but I guess just as a leopard never changes its' spots, neither do you." She said to the shock of everyone present.

It was very rare to see Rachel Berry standing up for herself, but she could not believe Quinn Fabray had the nerve to say that she and Jacob Ben Israel had _anything_ in common.

"Oh, _burn_!" Artie quipped, as his gaze trailed back and forth the girls.

"How dare you talk to me like that, Stubbles?" Quinn screeched, her face red from anger, and embarrassment.

"Rachel!" Finn hissed, looping a protective arm around the blonde's waist. "You have no right to talk to Quinn that way."

Rachel barked a very bitter laugh. "Right on schedule, the _White Knight_ reporting for duty on protecting his _Fairy Princess_." She shook her head. "Did it ever occur to you how much of a fucking hypocrite you are? Because if not, I would take a very good look in the mirror, and think about the fact that it seems _alright_ for you guys to treat me like I am trash, but _I_ am _out of line_ , when I stand up for myself." She rolled her eyes, folding her arms in front of her chest. "If I say anything to any of you I am simply being _dramatic_. _Rachel drama queen Berry_ throwing another hissy-fit, isn't it?" She asked, and the Glee kids had the decency to avert their eyes in shame.

Mr. Schuester's eyebrows disappeared in his hairline, he was so stunned that the little Diva actually spoke up for herself and cursed, he did not expect that, and a glance at his students told him that neither did the kids. Something akin to a little pride bubbled in the pit of his stomach, but it mixed with the stinging guilt that he felt from justifying to leave Rachel to fend for herself amidst hungry wolves ready to pounce on her.

He could see it clearly now how affected Miss Berry really was by all the bullying going on in the club, but he still thought this would prepare her for the life she desired. The path to stardom was paved with pain, tears, and countless obstacles to overcome, but he firmly believed that she would be all the stronger for it.

Quinn broke free of Finn's hold, and was about to march up to Rachel to give her a piece of her mind accompanied by actual physical violence, when Puck halted her way.

"Don't even think about it, Baby Momma!" He said in a low voice. "Berry did _not_ say or do anything to warrant what you were about to do."

Quinn seethed, and actually shook with anger. "Get out of my way, Puck!" She demanded, her fingers jabbing at his chest. "You _heard_ what she said. You heard her _allude_ to my pregnancy..., allude to what happened with _Beth_. How can you stand here and say that what I want to do to her is _not_ warranted?" She shouted at him.

Noah Puckerman's eyes darkened. "Quinn," He said sternly, actually using her name for once. "We all heard you insult Rachel multiple times, you do it every day, and she just takes it, heaven only knows _why_ _the hell_ she puts up with all of our crap, but she does, and the one time she actually grows some balls and stands up for herself, you get furious, because she is _right_... How typical of _Queen Q._ to be unable to take a few home truths." His eyes narrowed, as he folded his arms in front of his chest, while Rachel's jaw dropped in awe at his words. "Let's get real, Babe, you are _no_ Angel, who is deserving of any sort of morale high ground around here. You part the crowd with a _single_ glare, you _cheated_ on your boyfriend with me, and we had sex, and you got _pregnant_ with _my_ child no less, and you actually pulled the wool over Finnocence's eyes, and told him the baby was _his_. You _lied_ to him for the sake of your _reputation_ , and got me to go along with it. You viciously bully Berry every single day, and get the cheerleaders and jocks to follow your example, just so you can satisfy your hunger for power and keep sitting on your social throne. You put my _Jewish American Princess_ down, because you are jealous of her talent. You bully Rachel Berry, because you know that she is going places. You know that she is going to get out of this god forsaken town, and her name will be lit up in neon lights, as they proclaim her presence to the world. People will be flying to see _her_ perform on Broadway, and you _can't stand_ the thought that she is _better_ than _you_."

Miss Fabray's eyes filled with tears as Puck's words – cruel as they were – rang true in her ears. It destroyed her inside that he saw down to her very soul, yet defended that obnoxious little songbird instead of her. Her hand flew up to his face, as she slapped him hard, her emotional pain evident in the sharp sting, and the perfectly red hand-print she left behind.

Rachel was sitting stock still on her seat, staring at Puck and Quinn with shock reflecting in her bright eyes, as a few teardrops trickled down on her cheek. Never had anyone defended her so fiercely before, apart from her Daddies. "Oh Noah..." She whispered quietly to herself, not brave enough to actually interrupt their argument. She felt Mike's hand slip into hers, and she glanced at him to see him smiling at her softly in support. She squeezed his hand in acknowledgement of his good intentions, her chest constricting at the alien feeling of actually having someone to back her up. _Was it how it felt to have friends?_

"How dare you, Puckerman!" Quinn hissed at him, her eyes blazing with molten lava. "You do _not_ know the first thing about me. Actually, _none_ of you do, so do _not_ dare presume that you can tell me how I feel, because you do not have even the slightest inkling of what makes me tick. And you _never_ will. _Ever._ " She emphasized, picking up her messenger bag, flinging it over her shoulder, ready to fly out of the Auditorium, when Mike's voice gave her pause.

"Well, why do you assume you know Rachel then?" He asked lowly, standing up from his seat. "You can't play the offended party, when you are guilty of the very _same_ thing that you are accusing Puck of doing to you. That's not how it works..."

Quinn paled a little, but she quickly masked it with anger. "You know what? _Fuck you, Chang!_ No one asked your opinion, and I for one do not buy this _'let's be nice to Berry'_ kick you have going on. It's disturbing and _unnatural_ , and frankly disappointing. You can do all of us a favour, and crawl back to your quiet little corner... all you do is wriggle and spin, and do some dance moves, you _cannot_ even sing."

At that Tina jumped up from her seat, and spun around to face the blonde. "Alright, Quinn, that's _enough_. I understand that Rachel annoys you, frankly she annoys a lot of people." She sighed, and glanced at her. "Sorry, but it's true." She softly said, and the Jewish girl nodded her consent, she knew this. "I also understand that you are angry at the things Puck said, but that doesn't give you the right to attack Mike, when he simply pointed out something important that we should all acknowledge: we do not know Rachel, we only know what we want to see, and that's it."

"Thanks Tee." Mike grinned at his on-again, off-again date, and turned towards Fabray. "Well, for your information, just because I prefer dancing to singing, it doesn't mean I cannot carry a tune."

Quinn's eyes flashed with annoyance, but she ignored Tina, like she was insignificant, her eyes zeroing in on Mike. "Prove it!" She demanded, her left hand resting on her hips, in a challenging gesture.

Mr. Schuester was inwardly groaning at having to handle what sounded and looked like a cheap Brazilian soap opera. "Quinn, Mike is as much of a member of the Glee club as you are, he doesn't have to prove anything..."

"With all due respect, Mr. Chin-a-ton, is this _really_ what you are commenting on?" Santana asked incredulously. She was avidly listening to the confrontation, ever since the little Midget opened her mouth to snap back at Q., which frankly impressed her, especially when she told off Frankenteen. "Between the Hobbit being inspired to finally grow a spine, and the charming vocal dressing down Puck gave Fabray, and our Tubbers stinging back like the queen bee that she is, of course it makes _so much sense_ that your _only_ input would be that Chang doesn't have to sing." She snorted sarcastically.

"Santana..." Will warned, but he was interrupted.

"Satan does have a good point, Mr. Schue. If you are not going to get involved when people's feelings are at stake, I think you should not get involved at all..." Kurt dryly drawled.

"Listen to my Dolphin." Brittany chimed in with her sweet voice, leaning her face on Miss Lopez's shoulder. "Dolphins are gay sharks." She added for good measure.

Kurt and Mercedes shared an amused glance and grinned at each other. Meanwhile Puck was holding on to his cheek, as his Baby Momma packed some heat into that slap. He smirked to himself. It was _so_ typical that he would be attracted to feisty women, but he was sick and tired of Quinn's attitude, especially towards Berry, so he let her have it. It was high time he stood up for his Jewish American Princess.

Mr. Shuester folded like a pack of cards. "Alright then. Let's hear your improvised performance, Mike." He sighed, as he buried his face in his hands. He could only hope the kids who came to audition did not get tired of waiting for their turn.

The tall Asian guy smiled and glanced at Rachel. "Care to help me out a bit, Miss Berry?" He asked with a cheeky wink.

Rachel chuckled at his playfulness. "I would be delighted, Mr. Chang. What did you have in mind?" She mused out loud, and her eyes sparkled with joy, as he whispered that he wanted to sing _'Shut Up and Dance'_ by Walk The Moon. She thought it was a wonderful choice. The song really suited Michael, and secretly it was one of her favourite dance tunes.

Mike grinned and picked up his phone, as he had a purely instrumental arrangement of the song on it, and cranked up the volume, before putting it on the chair, and grabbing Rachel's hand, he started to sing in time with the melody.

" _Oh don't you dare look back_

 _Just keep your eyes on me_

 _I said you're holding back_

 _She said..._ "

Rachel joined him in singing the next part, keeping her voice light and airy.

" _...shut up and dance with me._ "

The Asian teenager's eyes gleamed with mischief as he twirled Rachel around between the chairs, while his voice took on a slightly audacious tone, as he serenaded her.

" _This woman is my destiny_

 _She said..._ "

Rachel laughed, as her skirt flared out, as the skillful dancer spun her around. She harmonized with him, her voice complimenting his raspy alto sound.

" _Oh oh oh_

 _Shut up and dance with me..._ "

He let go of Rachel's hand, to do some surprisingly complex legwork, considering how little space there was for sweet dance moves around the chairs of the Auditorium, but he did not want to use the stage. He rolled his shoulders, and swayed his hips, and pulled up Brittany to dance with her, delighting in her joyous laughter, as the blonde cheerleader was aching to join in on the fun.

They moved together seamlessly, their bodies mashing, moving, rotating and twisting to the beat in perfect harmony. It was obvious to everyone with a pair of functioning eyes that they were both passionate and incredibly talented when it came to dancing.

" _We were victims of the night_

 _The chemical, physical, kryptonite_

 _Helpless to the bass and the fading light_

 _Oh we were bound to get together_

 _Bound to get together..._ "

Brit spun out of Mike's arms, towards Rachel, grabbing a hold of her hand, and twirling her around her taller frame, as Mike whirled up to them, singing the next part of the lyrics.

" _She took my arm_

 _I don't know how it happened_

 _We took the floor and she said..._ "

They both actually took one of the boy's arms, as he sang that line, and moved against him, bobbing their heads, and swaying their hips in time to the upbeat tempo, as all three of them harmonized.

" _Oh don't you dare look back_

 _Just keep your eyes on me_

 _I said you're holding back_

 _She said shut up and dance with me_

 _This woman is my destiny_

 _She said oh oh oh_

 _Shut up and dance with me..._ "

At this point the whole of the club joined them in singing the rest of the song, except Quinn, who was frozen and fuming at the sight of what was happening around her. She could not believe that Chang could actually sing, and she had to admit to herself, that he wasn't half bad. It irritated her to no end that he asked _Man-hands_ to sing with him, and even _flirted_ with her... _It was disgusting._

She refused to join the fun, when Finn was dumb enough to actually attempt to pull her into the dancing and singing. As if she would stoop so low, when this was her challenge. _No freaking way._ They could make fools of themselves all they wanted without her, as Quinn Fabray was _no_ fool.

As the number finished, with Mike twirling Rachel, and dipping her low, then pulling her close to his body, he glanced at the cheerleader with a smirk on his face. "Still think that I can't sing?" He quipped, as he set the Jewish girl down, and grabbed his phone, to turn the music and the volume off.

"That was tons of fun!" Brittany squealed, as she was still twirling Santana around.

The Latina chuckled at her best friend's childlike enthusiasm and looked at Mike. "I have to say, I did not think you had it in you, Chang."

He simply rolled his eyes and smiled a good-natured smile. "I think that today should be a lesson to all of us, that even though we sing and dance together, most of us do not really know each other."

" _Whatever..._ I am out of here, I cannot look at you losers any more today." Quinn scrunched up her nose, and turned to Rachel. "I hope you realize that just because you got lucky today, and two overgrown Neanderthals decided to stick up for you, it does not mean that you actually have friends. Come tomorrow you will still be the freak that gets slushied in the face, and I will still be the one with the power to make your entire high school experience hell, while I don't even have to move my little finger." She laughed a sharp laugh, and stormed out of the Auditorium.

Rachel's expression was heartbreaking, as she realized that Quinn was right, and with that thought, her eyes became guarded, and her posture stiffened. She sit back down on the chair, numbly staring at her knees, and hoping to get the auditions over and done with, so she could go through with her plan. For a second there she forgot that she wanted to quit Glee, but clearly she was just caught up in the heat of the moment, because as much as she hated the pretty blonde girl, she was right.

Quinn Fabray luxuriated on the top of the social pyramid, while Rachel Berry was a social pariah. She was painfully aware of her place on the metaphorical food-chain, and as unexpected as this afternoon was, she should not expect anything else.

* * *

 **A/N:** We have a lovely mix of Rachel standing up for herself, Quinn snipping at her viciously, and Mike and Puck sticking up for her for once, shocking her to her very core, only to be defeated by Quinn's words in the end.

I also had fun with Mike's singing bit. That was unexpected.

As much as I did not plan on the things I have written in here, Jewfro's audition opened a can of worms, that I did not expect, and it needed to be dealt with.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and thank you for the support!


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